The ticket booking offices of the Cantt Station and the City Railway Station are full of frustrated travellers, and one soon notices an odd pattern. Groups of people are seen following police officers. The reason, it turns out, is that the police officers are selling train tickets and at much higher rates than at the ticketing booths.
Reportedly, this type of a situation arises every year with the approach of winter vacations and Christmas, but this year the situation has worsened because of the additional fear of air travel following recent mishaps.
“Travelling by train is much cheaper than by air, and it is a comparatively safer mode of transport considering that the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) administration is sacrificing goats for sadqa before flights take-off,” claimed a traveller, while talking to this scribe at the Cantt Station.
“But what one can do if there is no seat available?” said a Lahore-based businessman. “There is no seat available in business class or air-conditioned coaches of any of local train from Karachi to Lahore till January 5.”
“Resignation of the PIA chairman following the mishaps gave rise to distrust,” said another traveller, while waiting for his turn at booking lounge. “Everyone is departing departs from this lounge disappointed, but I am hopeful and waiting for my turn,” he added.
When he was asked to recall recent train accidents, he claimed that the rate of survival is much higher than air traffic accidents. According to him, “the worst is that you die, and then your family members have to move to and fro to acquire your remains for burial”.
Following the unprecedented increase in passengers, complaints of black ticketing at railway stations have also increased. People claim that tickets are available but in black. “I would like to go Lahore to enjoy winter vacations with my relatives, but the railway officials claim that tickets are not available,” said a passenger.
“But tickets are available at much higher rates in black,” he claimed, maintaining that “the official rate of a Karakoram Express berth is Rs 1500, but the same berth is available in black at Rs 2200.”
Besides trains, a surge of passengers was reported at inter-district and inter-provincial bus services. Passengers have also complained of increased bus fare following the rising demand.
Railway Divisional Superintendent (DS) Nasir Nazeer when approached for comments, claimed that this is not unusual activity and that this type of situation usually arises every year at the time of winter vacations and Christmas. “The shortage of seats is expected to continue till January 5,” according to Nazeer.
